[UAU: fast-forward]

[masokaiser]

[Today has been...interesting, for the both of them.

Well, maybe less interesting on Juudai's end. He's probably used to ignoring Saruyama's scripts and hiding the new deck by now, which is really something that Kaiser should talk to him about. There's going to be serious danger to both of them if this continues.

Right now, though, he's busy picking mangoes out of a pile and trying to ignore his crippling shame.

(He really hadn't expected that to happen in the ring. He'd barely even noticed it, in the state he was in, blended in with the usual sick excitement of the duel. But he had taken a shock and for the first time he was truly prepared for it, ready for it, and...)

He shakes off the thought and turns back to the cart with his bag of fruit.

...There are considerably more cookies in the basket than the last time he checked.]

...Juudai.

Comments

[masokaiser]

[It's only as the man drops to the ground that he notices the attire. Tie, nice shirt, well-groomed.

(He wasn't an opponent. He was a mole.)

(Kaiser just attacked one of Saruyama's moles.)

He freezes.]

[sternitfortem]

[ Juudai freezes, too. He'd turned around just in time to see Kaiser whirl and punch the man pursing them, and in the blank silent moment after he hits the ground, Juudai soaks in his tie, his suit, his hair slicked back in that favorite style of Saruyama's types, and - oh god, it was Saruyama's people after all, and Kaiser just punched one. ]

Oh shit.

[ The words are out of his mouth before he even registers saying them. ]

Oh shit.

[masokaiser]

[The man stands up, clutching his jaw, and makes a run for it.

Kaiser is too paralyzed to try to stop him.

He nods, mutely, in response to Juudai's words. "Oh shit" sounds about right, yes.]

[sternitfortem]

[ Juudai can't help but reach out and grip Kaiser's arm at the wrist. Just to hold it. (They're in for it, now. Saruyama's going to find a way to use this against them.) ]

What are we going to do?

[ The way Juudai says it, it's like a rhetorical question. What can they do? ]

[masokaiser]

[He shakes his head slowly, staring at the retreating figure of the man before he disappears around a corner.]

I don't...

I don't know.

[He's doing an excellent job of composing himself on the outside, at least, but his heart is pounding and his mind is racing with the most important question.]

Which of us...

[Which of them will take the punishment, for this?]

[sternitfortem]

[ Which of us will be punished? Juudai knows exactly what Kaiser is thinking, what he meant to say. His hand slides down Kaiser's wrist to intertwine his fingers with Kaiser's, over the back of Kaiser's palm.

Kaiser struck, so it will probably be Juudai. This is good. Juudai can handle this. He feels strangely better now that all the tension has ruptured.

It's over. He can handle Saruyama. ]

Come on. [ He squeezes Kaiser's hand again, then goes to a knee to pick up the dropped groceries. ] Let's get home with this stuff. I'm hungry.

[masokaiser]

[...ah.

The hand in his makes the pounding of his heart slow, lets him breathe.

And...they can survive this, can't they?

After everything in the ring...they can survive it.

(even if he still feels sick deep down he can take the time they have remaining before Saruyama finds out)

He reaches down to gather everything back into the bag, and spots something spilled out onto the ground.

He holds the box of Pocky up, waves it slowly.]

You continue to be a master of stealth.

[sternitfortem]

[ Juudai just grins. ]

Aw, come on, I'll let you have some...


[ They finish getting the other grocery bag put back together, and Juudai takes the Pocky box, opens it, and sticks one in his mouth as they walk back to the apartment. Yeah, punching Saruyama's guy was bad, but what could he have been tailing them for anyway? Protection? Probably just trying to see that they weren't going to make a break for it. It can't be that bad. Kaiser could defend himself by explaining they thought it was a thug or a robbery. (They'll be okay.) (He hopes.) ]